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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · root · bass · rush · firm · stand · pitch · spring

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rush — hurry
  3. prune — to trim
  4. firm — steady
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. firm — a company
  7. stand — to bear
  8. spring — the season
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spring — a coil
  11. root — of a word
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. spring — of water
  15. bass — low music
  16. root — of a plant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. firm — decided
  19. root — the cause
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pitch — completely

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com